1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to manikins used for training people in the art of cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), including mouth-to-mouth ventilation and external cardiac massage, Heimlich Maneuver and Abdominal Thrust Maneuver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
CPR training manikin systems include a facsimile of the human body, in particular the torso, head, neck and internal features to simulate an airway and chest cavity protecting the heart.
Instruction in the art of CPR involves teaching both theory and practice. In order to achieve the practical application of this art, a person or facsimile thereof must be used. Several concerns exist with using people for training, namely the high risk of cross contamination of disease during ventilation and the likelihood of inducing cardiac seizure during external cardiac massage. As a result there is an almost universal use of human facsimiles, in the form of training manikins, which enable these techniques to be used safely and effectively.
There are a number of important physical features and functions of the human body that are essential for the application of CPR techniques. These features and functions are represented on a CPR training manikin and include anatomical features on the torso to facilitate correct hand placement for cardiac massage, a resilient chest that can be compressed with appropriate resistance during cardiac massage and will expand during ventilation to show the effect of breathing, an articulated head and neck that allows correct head tilt and chin lift to open the airway for ventilation, a sanitary face shield/windpipe and lung (airway) that prevent cross contamination of disease between students.
Several systems and materials have been employed to simulate the desired features and functions of a human body in CPR manikins. Typically these have been aimed at accurately reproducing physical detail as well as functional anatomy. A variety of mechanisms and electronics have been used as feedback mechanisms for the students and teachers of CPR and have been patented in some instances. Typically these manikins are sophisticated in nature and consequently are expensive to buy and to maintain. Further, most manikins are very heavy and difficult to carry around. More recently the trend has been towards the use of less expensive, lighter and simpler, manikins. These have the advantages of low cost, low maintenance, low weight transportability and simplicity. U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,987 describes a manikin of this type.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,617 a device is described that is not intended to be like a manikin, but uses a foam block that is meant to simulate a person's chest. Unlike the present invention, the foam block is pressed on directly and as a consequence does not have the feel of a persons chest with a sternum under the skin. Neither is the block intended to rebound like a persons chest, which is a requirement of the present invention.
Many airway assemblages have been developed to represent the human airway system, which simultaneously reduce transmission of disease. Some manikins utilize re-usable face shields, lung and airway which are either removed for cleaning or are wiped clean with a sterilizing solution. Other manikins use a disposable lower airway and lung and cleanable and/or removable face shield. All the existing systems require clean-up and the associated cleaning fluids and cleaning equipment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,857 a device is shown that is intended to be used as a hygienic face shield for use on CPR dummies. This is not a complete airway system as described in the present invention, but requires the existing airway passages and lung of a CPR manikin.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,052 a device is shown that simulates the respiratory tract of a model for practicing artificial respiration. This device is an inflatable balloon that is resilient in nature and requires the use of constraining elements to restrict inflation to pre-determined regions. The present invention uses a non-resilient bag that does not require such constraint.
Cardiac arrest is the single largest killer in today's western society, however death from this event has been proven preventable through knowledge of correct CPR training if applied within the first few minutes of arrest. In most instances this can be achieved by a person close to the victim and this is typically a loved one in the home. The applicants believes that many tens or even hundreds of thousands of deaths can be prevented each year if a manikin is available that is very low cost and accessible to the home user.
Further the applicants believes that the manikin should be environmentally friendly and made from recycled and recyclable materials.
It is also believed that there is a need for a very low cost and fully disposable airway system that totally eliminates the possibility of cross contamination of disease and clean-up on manikins intended for multiple use.